Ozone Laundry Systems

ABSTRACT

Ozone laundry systems include one system, a tunnel washer system that generates ozone and dissolves the ozone in water at various stages of the tunnel washer, such as with a Venturi injector. The ozonated water may be stored and recirculated/re-ozonated to ensure that a desired level of dissolved ozone is present in any water delivered to the various zones of the tunnel washer. The ozonated water provides maximum cleaning efficiency and effectiveness at cooler water temperatures, saving water and energy costs. In some systems, controlled safe application of gaseous and/or dissolved ozone may be made to laundry in a washer. Ozone levels may be monitored and precisely controlled. The application of ozone using some embodiments allows the ozone to treat materials and articles of clothing such as jeans to achieve a desired look and feel, such as an appearance of having been worn.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/119,235 filed May 12, 2008 which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/917,560 filed May 11, 2007, and U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/917,566, filed May 11, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to laundering systems using ozone, andmore particularly to tunnel washing using multiple-stage ozonated waterand to laundering systems for applying gaseous ozone to fabrics.

2. Background and Related Art

Ozone is a naturally-occurring gaseous component of fresh air and is oneof the most powerful known disinfectants and oxidizers. Ozone is creatednaturally by lightning strikes and may be created artificially bypassing electricity through oxygen molecules that consist of two oxygenatoms. The lightning or electricity splits oxygen molecules into twofree oxygen atoms that combine with other nearby oxygen molecules toform ozone. The third atom of oxygen makes ozone very unstable and makesit a powerful cleaning and oxidizing agent.

While ozone is a gas at room temperature, some ozone can be dissolved incold water to allow it to serve as a safe and effective cleaning agent.Because ozone is such a strong oxidant, it oxidizes approximately 3,000times more quickly than chlorine, a commonly-used oxidizing agent usedin laundering. However, there have been some difficulties in using ozoneas a cleaning agent. First, there have been difficulties in deliveringthe ozone to the laundry system in a way that it will be most effective.Second, there have been difficulties in obtaining and maintaining ozoneconcentrations at an ideal level throughout a wash system such as acommercial washer, including a commercial tunnel washer. Third, therehave been difficulties in preventing unwanted side effects of ozone use,such as increased equipment wear and the unwanted release of excessozone.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Implementation of the invention provides tunnel washer systems thatgenerate ozone and dissolve the ozone in water at various stages of thetunnel washer(s). The ozonated water may be stored andre-circulated/re-ozonated to ensure that a proper level of dissolvedozone is present in any water delivered to the various zones of thetunnel washer. Ozone is dissolved in the water using a Venturi injector.Ozonated water may be delivered to multiple stages of the tunnel washerto ensure maximum cleaning efficiency and effectiveness, and themultiple stages may include a pre-wash zone, a wash zone, and a rinsezone. Water from at least the rinse zone may be recycled, filtered, andre-ozonated for use in one or more of the other zones. The ozonatedwater allows for improved faster washing at cooler water temperatures,saving water and energy costs and improving the wash results.

Further implementation of the invention provides ozone washing systemsthat provide for the controlled safe application of gaseous ozone tolaundry in a washer. A negative air pressure or vacuum is applied to thewasher through an ozone destruct unit to draw ozone through the washerfrom an ozone generator and to reduce inadvertent ozone leaks from thesystem. The ozone levels at various locations may be monitored and ozonegeneration and application may be controlled in response to the detectedozone concentrations, levels, and flow rates. In some embodiments, ozonemay be destroyed/removed/reduced at the end of a treatment cycle byvarious processes in addition to the use of the ozone destruct unit,including the application of gaseous nitrogen as a flushing agent. Theapplication of gaseous ozone using the inventive systems allow the ozoneto treat materials and articles of clothing such as jeans to achieve adesired look and feel, such as an appearance of having been worn, byinteracting with the fibers of the materials and articles of clothing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a tunnel washer in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a detailed schematic view of an embodiment of ozonegeneration, injection into water, and delivery equipment in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a washer system in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A description of the embodiments of the present invention will now begiven with reference to the Figures, which are expressly incorporatedinto this description by reference. It is expected that the presentinvention may take many other forms and shapes, hence the followingdisclosure is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, and thescope of the invention should be determined by reference to the appendedclaims.

Some embodiments of the invention include tunnel washer systems thatgenerate ozone and dissolve the ozone in water at various stages of thetunnel washers. The ozonated water may be stored andre-circulated/re-ozonated to ensure that a proper level of dissolvedozone is present in any water delivered to the various zones of thetunnel washer. Ozone is dissolved in the water using a Venturi injector.Ozonated water may be delivered to multiple stages of the tunnel washerto ensure maximum cleaning efficiency and effectiveness, and themultiple stages may include a pre-wash zone, one or more wash zones, anda rinse zone. Water from at least the rinse zone may be recycled,filtered, and re-ozonated for use in one or more of the other zones. Theozonated water allows for improved, faster washing at cooler watertemperatures, saving water and energy costs and improving the washresults.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of a tunnel washer 110 in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. The tunnel washer 110 includesmultiple zones, sections, pockets, chambers, or compartments (“zones”)through which the laundry progresses during various wash and rinsecycles. By way of example, the tunnel washer 110 may have twelve zones(but may have more or fewer zones), with laundry generally flowing inone direction, and washer water generally flowing in an oppositedirection (known as a counter-flow washer). In the illustratedembodiment, laundry is loaded into the tunnel washer 110 at a load zone112, the laundry continuously progresses through various zones wherewashing and rinsing may occur until the laundry exits the tunnel washer110 at an exit zone 114, which may include a water extractor or press toremove water from the laundry, and the laundry is removed for drying. Asthe laundry continuously progresses through the various zones of thetunnel washer 110, additional laundry may be essentially continuouslyadded at the load zone 112 and removed from the exit zone 114, allowingthe tunnel washer 110 to process large amounts of laundry in arelatively short time. The tunnel washer 110 may also process laundrycontinuously without any interruption in some instances.

Previously, such washers required the use of hot water to adequatelyclean the laundry. However, tunnel washers in accordance withembodiments of the invention, such as tunnel washer 110, do not requirehot water to clean, and in fact, the use of hot water is detrimental tothe use of ozone for cleaning. Specifically, it has been found thatozone is most water-soluble in cold water, and remains dissolved (andactive) in the cold water for a longer period of time. If the water istoo hot, then ozone does not dissolve in the water and/or is too quicklyre-released from the water. For example, ozone solubility in waterdecreases to near zero between about 40 and 45 degrees Celsius (about105-115 degrees Fahrenheit). Therefore, it is advantageous to ensurethat the water remains cold during use in an ozone tunnel washer so thatthe ozone remains in the water where it can effectively interact withsoiled laundry. Ozone also functions best at lower pH levels thanconventional laundry systems, such as pH levels below 10.

Cold-water laundering with ozone is advantageous in that it greatlyreduces energy costs associated with heating the water. Additionally,because ozone is such a reactive oxidant, the wash cycle time and/orsteps may be reduced. Fewer wash and rinse cycles/steps equate to lesswater usage, decreasing the water and sewage needs of the laundrysystem, further improving the cost of laundering using the embodimentsof the ozone tunnel washer. As hot water, high alkalinity (pH), largedoses of chlorine bleach, and acid (sour) combine to break down thefibers in linens, towels, and other laundry items, ozone tunnel washersalso lead to improved fabric life. This is accomplished due to lower pHlevels, less chlorine bleach, cooler temperatures, and reducing the needfor sour. The shortened wash and dry cycle times due to fewer wash andrinse cycles/steps also lead to improved efficiency and labor costs,improving worker productivity.

In embodiments of the invention, ozone may be produced and/or stored asneeded, and is then introduced into the wash water before the wash wateris introduced to the washer. Ozone may be produced by firstconcentrating and storing dry oxygen with an oxygen concentrator 116.The oxygen concentrator(s) 116 provide high-quality oxygen to anassociated ozone generator 118. The oxygen concentrator(s) 116 include acompressor and a filter/dryer that take in ambient air and removemoisture and nitrogen components from the ambient air to leave mostlyoxygen. Once the oxygen has been separated from the ambient air, it isthen available for conversion to ozone. Alternatively, oxygen may beprovided by any other means, such as by oxygen supplied in a removableoxygen tank.

On-demand ozone generation is comparatively cheap and reliable whencompared with the costs of and difficulties associated with heatingwater and/or ozone storage (gaseous ozone has a half-life of about threedays at room temperature and ozone dissolved in water has a half-life ofonly about 20 minutes at room temperature). Therefore, in embodiments ofthe invention, ozone may be generated by the ozone generator(s) 118continuously and/or on demand while the tunnel washer 110 is on. In someembodiments, the ozone generator(s) 118 may cycle on and off as neededto maintain an adequate amount of ozone for use with the tunnel washer110 and, in some embodiments, some ozone may be stored until needed andmay supplement the ozone generated on demand.

The ozone generator(s) 118 receives oxygen from the oxygenconcentrator(s) 116 and may use the oxygen to create ozone by a processcommonly known as corona discharge, although any method of generatingsufficient quantities of ozone may be used. The oxygen may be receivedinto a ceramic titanium discharge generator. Alternatively, the oxygenmay be received into a corona discharge cell that has an electrifiedquartz tube. The electricity passing through the ceramic titaniumdischarge generator or the quartz tube in a corona discharge cellconverts the oxygen gas into ozone, as described above. Any other methodof ozone generation may also be used, including a ceramic tubedielectric ozone generator. The ozone so created may be stored as a gasfor a period of time until needed, or it may be delivered immediatelyupon generation to the cold water to be used in the tunnel washer 110.Any excess ozone gas, as well as any ozone gas that may leak from thesystem, may be routed to an ozone destruct unit 120 that maycatalytically convert the excess ozone back to oxygen gas. One catalystthat may be used in the ozone destruct unit 120 is manganese dioxide.

To minimize ozone release to the surrounding environment, the ozonedestruct unit(s) 120 may remove any excess un-dissolved ozone from theozone injection systems before ozonated water is delivered to the tunnelwasher 110, as is illustrated in and discussed in more detail withreference to FIGS. 2-9. In this way, very little ozone off-gases fromthe washer water (very little ozone leaves solution once it isthoroughly dissolved), thereby minimizing ambient ozone levels in theair surrounding the tunnel washer 110. In some embodiments, ozonedestruct unit(s) 120 may also be placed inside and/or around the tunnelwasher 110 to remove any ozone out-gassed from the wash water orescaping from the tunnel washer 110. In some embodiments, although ithas been found to be typically not necessary, one or more of the ozonedestruct unit(s) 120 may be associated with a negative pressure meanssuch as a blower, ventilation fan, etc. to ensure that ambient ozonelevels remain below acceptable levels.

In washing operations, it is important that the ozone be dissolved inthe water. Ozone in the air will not interact with the soiled laundry toassist in removing the soiling. Although several mechanisms have beenused to dissolve ozone in water, some do not perform acceptably well orin a controlled fashion in a tunnel washer system. One potential ozonedissolving system is a bubble diffuser. In such a system, ozone isbubbled into a tank or column of water through a porous material at thebottom of the tank or column. As the ozone bubbles rise through thecolumn of water, some ozone diffuses into the water. However, the amountof diffusion is difficult to control, this method releases more ozoneoff gas that must be removed and destroyed, and the column of waterthrough which the ozone is diffusing must be between ten and twentyvertical feet to obtain reasonable aqueous ozone concentrations.Although it may be possible to provide such a column of water in acommercial laundry installation, it is typically inconvenient.

A better (at least faster and less space consuming) way to dissolveozone in water is through the use of a Venturi injector. Venturiinjectors deliver ozone to the Venturi injector in a pressurized waterline. As the water flows past the Venturi injector, it creates apressure drop that sucks the ozone gas into the flowing water where itcan dissolve into solution. A Venturi injector has been used inso-called “sidearm” or “retraction approach” systems, but the sidearmapproach is limited in its ability to deliver ozone to the laundry. Insuch systems, the washer itself acts as a storage tank for ozonatedwater. Therefore, the water is delivered to the washer before anydissolving of ozone in the water occurs. Then, the water is circulatedfrom the tank through one or more Venturi injectors, and returned to thewasher.

This approach has several limitations. First, the water is initiallydelivered to the washer without ozone in a first fill. Therefore, anylater-delivered ozonated water must displace non-ozonated water tointeract with dirt and perform its cleaning function. Second, the ozoneconcentration in the wash water begins low and is thereafter hard tocontrol with certainty. Third, other chemicals are typically alreadyadded to the wash water, raising the pH level of the water beyond alevel at which ozone will continue to exist in the water; as pH rises,the half life of ozone falls until it decreases to near zero at pHlevels above 10. Fourth, in order for maximum ozone transfer into thewater using a Venturi system, the ozone should be delivered with aproper flow rate and water pressure for ten to thirty seconds; however,in sidearm systems, the water is typically pulled out and reintroducedbefore all the ozone has dissolved, in less than about five seconds.Finally, the water is often already somewhat dirty, and it is moredifficult to dissolve ozone in dirty water.

A better method of supplying ozone to the water is to pre-dissolve ozonein clean water in a desired concentration before the water is suppliedto the washer. In this manner, the maximum effective ozone concentrationmay be delivered in a controlled fashion to the washer/wash wheel on thefirst fill before the laundry has become saturated with other(non-ozonated) water. This ensures the ozone quickly reaches the fabricand best performs its oxidizing function in cleaning the laundry. Thismethod is illustrated in part in FIG. 1 and is illustrated in moredetail in

FIGS. 2-9. Using the illustrated methods, dissolved ozone concentrationsof between 0.50 parts per million (ppm) to 1.50 ppm and more may beprovided in the ozonated water. In some instances, as discussed in moredetail below, even higher concentrations of dissolved ozone, such as 7ppm may be desired and achieved.

The illustrated pressurized injection system and method use one or moreseparate storage tank(s) 122 for storing ozonated water. The system andmethod also use pumps 124 to drive the water through piping and acrossone or more Venturi injectors 126. The pumps 124 also deliver theozonated water to the tunnel washer 110 and recirculate the ozonatedwater when water is not being delivered to the tunnel washer 110 so thatozone levels may be replenished as ozone naturally decomposes in thewater. Pressure reducing valves (not shown in FIG. 1, but illustrated inmore detail in FIGS. 2-10) may be used, if needed, to keep the waterpressure at a constant desired pressure for proper dissolving of ozonein the water at the Venturi injector(s) 126. The system may also includevarious monitors and/or probes (shown as monitor 128 and illustrated inmore detail in FIGS. 2-10), including an oxidation reduction potential(ORP) probe to monitor the ozone levels of the ozonated water and a pHmeter to monitor the pH level of the ozonated water. The signals fromthe monitor(s) 128 may be used to signal increased ozonation or theaddition of acid sour to reduce rising pH levels, if detected. Thesystem may also include one or more of the ozone destruct units 120, aspreviously described.

Using such a system, water may be received at an input (either freshwater from a city supply, for example, or used water from a rinse cycle,as will be set forth below), and the water may be circulated through aclosed circuit loop that includes the Venturi injector(s) 126, themonitor(s) 128, and the storage tank(s) 122 by the pump(s) 124. Whenfresh water is received from a city supply, its initial pressure may bereduced to approximately 50 psi by a pressure reducing valve (notshown). When used water is recycled, the circulation pump(s) may providewater pressures of between 5 and 50 psi.

During such circulation, a constant pressure across the Venturiinjector(s) 126, such as between 10 and 20 psig, may be maintained asthe water is ozonated to the desired level or full saturation. Thecirculation also ensures that the optimum ozonation is maintained in thefull volume of water of the storage tank(s) 122 to be ready for use.When water is called for by the tunnel washer 110, one or more valvesmay be opened to draw ozonated water from the storage tank(s) 122 andthe water lines, and a fully charged load of ozonated water may bedelivered to the laundry. Therefore, the storage tank(s) 122, and ozoneinjection systems may be sized so as to adequately meet any demand forfully-ozonated water. New water is then circulated, ozonated, and storedas the wash cycle continues, and is ready for use at the next timeozonated water is needed. After the ozonated water is delivered to thedesignated zone of the tunnel washer 110 and the laundry is saturatedwith the ozonated water, any chemical cleaners are then added andenhanced by the effect of the ozone in the water.

Thus, as may be appreciated, each and every fill of water may have acontrolled, known, and effective amount of ozone in the water tomaximize efficiency of the tunnel washer 110 and cleanness of theeventual laundered load. To achieve maximum cleanness of the launderedload and maximum efficiency, fresh ozonated (or re-ozonated) water maybe injected at multiple stages of the laundering process within thetunnel washer 110, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The tunnel washer 110 ofFIG. 1 includes three ozone injection points 130. One injection point130 where freshly-ozonated water may be provided to the tunnel washer110 is at a rinse zone 132. At the rinse zone 132, dirty wash water maybe removed from the laundry, and fresh ozonated water (originallysupplied directly from the city water supply) may be provided to removeany remaining soils and chemical cleaners. Although there may be someozone remaining in the removed dirty wash water, it may generally bedisposed of as any normal wash water would be: the ozone half life isshort enough to prevent any problems, ozone in the waste water mayactually assist in water treatment, and any remaining ozone is destroyedduring waste water treatment. When the rinse water is removed from therinse zone 132, it is still fairly clean and need not be discarded.However, the ozone level in the rinse water may have decreased slightlyor significantly, so it may be advantageous to re-ozonate the rinsewater to a desired level if the ozone level has decreased as the wateris recycled for further use.

Therefore, the water from the rinse water may be passed to a secondozone injection point 130 at a wash zone 134 (and/or to a third ozoneinjection point 130 at a pre-wash zone 136). At the wash zone 134,recycled water from the rinse zone 132 is re-ozonated (and may be storedin a tank 122 until it is needed) and may be combined with freshozonated water if necessary, such as where the amount of recycled rinsewater is smaller than the amount needed for the wash zone 134. Theozonated water is then provided to the laundry in the wash zone andafter the ozonated water is added and has saturated the laundry,chemical cleaners may be added. The ozone in the water enhances theperformance of chemical cleaners, including chlorine, allowing the washcycle to perform well at cold water temperatures, at shorter washdurations, and using fewer chemicals, resulting in energy and watersavings and enhanced laundry life. Waste water from the wash zone 134may be disposed of according to standard methods as set forth above.

To maximize efficiency of the tunnel washer 110 using ozonated water,the first fill of water that initially soaks the laundry may useozonated water. Therefore, the third injection point 130 may be providedat the pre-wash zone 136 at the beginning of the tunnel washer 110immediately following or concurrent with the load zone 112. The thirdinjection point 130 at the pre-wash zone 136 may use fresh clean waterfrom a city supply so as to maximize the dissolved ozone in the watersupplied to the tunnel washer 110. Alternatively, the third injectionpoint 130 at the pre-wash zone 136 may use a combination of fresh waterfrom the city supply with recycled water from the rinse zone 132.Regardless, in this way, ozonated water immediately reaches all pointsof soiled laundry from the beginning, enhancing laundering success. Itis anticipated that additional ozone injection points 130 may be addedin embodiments of the invention while remaining within the scope of theinvention.

As has been previously set forth, water in the tunnel washer 110generally flows in a counter-flow direction to the direction of the flowof laundry in the tunnel washer 110. Also, as set forth above, thetunnel washer 110 may terminate in a water extractor or press (notspecifically illustrated) that extracts and removes as much water aspossible before the laundry is removed for drying. Because of thecounter-flow nature of the water flow and the injection of cleanozonated water at the rinse zone 132, any water extracted at the waterextractor or press is typically relatively clean, and in someembodiments, it is this extracted water that is recycled forre-ozonation and use at the pre-wash zone 136. In some embodiments, therinse zone 132 may include several zones (pockets, etc.) with the waterflowing in a counter-flow direction through the zones of the rinse zone132. Thus, in some embodiments, the water that is re-cycled andre-ozonated prior to use in the wash zone 134 may be water removed fromthe first zone of the rinse zone 132 (having flowed through all laterzones of the rinse zone 132). Although somewhat dirtier than the rinsewater removed at the extractor or press, it has been found possible tosubstantially re-ozonate and re-use this water in the wash zone 134.

As is set forth above, ozone does not dissolve in warm to hot waterand/or has a negligible half life in higher water temperatures.Additionally, ozone generation with hot air is more difficult and lesseffective. Therefore, embodiments of the invention embrace the use ofmonitors and cooling systems to ensure that the water and/or tunnelwasher 110 remain cool enough for an effective amount of dissolved ozoneto be delivered to the laundry. This may be important, for example, inhot climates, such as may be found in lower latitude desert-typelocations such as in parts of Arizona. In such embodiments, the entiretunnel washer 110 may be enclosed and refrigerated if necessary toensure that air and water temperatures remain sufficiently low.Alternatively, the entire room in which the tunnel washer is located maybe climate-controlled to ensure sufficiently low ambient air operatingtemperatures.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, the water supply temperature may bemonitored and the water cooled or refrigerated, if necessary. In allsuch systems, the water temperature and/or the temperature of the tunnelwasher 110 may be measured directly. Alternatively and/or additionally,a monitor such as monitor 128 discussed above may monitor the amount ofozone dissolved in the water being used and may sound and/or present analarm or notification if the ozone level drops below an acceptablelevel, as would occur with water temperatures being too high.

FIGS. 2-10 illustrate more-detailed embodiments of the ozone generationand delivery equipment discussed above, and the illustrated embodimentsmay be configured for different locations on tunnel washers such astunnel washer 110 and for different sizes of tunnel washers, as may beappreciated by one of skill in the art. The embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 2-10 are provided by way of illustration and not limitation, andare provided to assist one of skill in the art in practicing theinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of equipment that may be located atthe rinse zone 132, or alternatively at the pre-wash zone 136 or eventhe wash zone 134, if no re-cycling or re-use of water is used at thepre-wash zone 136 or the wash zone 134. FIG. 3 illustrates oneembodiment of equipment that may provide recycled and re-ozonated waterto the wash zone 134. The embodiment of FIG. 3 may utilize a combinationof fresh and recycled water. FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment ofequipment that may provide ozonated water to the pre-wash zone 136. Theembodiment of FIG. 4 also may use a combination of fresh and recycledwater.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of equipment that may provideozonated water to the wash zone 134. FIG. 6 illustrates an alternateembodiment of equipment that may provide ozonated water to the pre-washzone 136. FIGS. 7-9 illustrate other embodiments that may provide or bemodified to provide ozonated water to any of the zones in the tunnelwasher 110.

In FIGS. 2-10, like reference numerals refer to like components. As oneof skill in the art will appreciate and understand all the Figures byreference to them in view of the description, the following discussionwill focus primarily on FIG. 2. In addition, a few comments regardingthe additional features shown in FIGS. 3-9 are provided. In FIG. 2,oxygen concentrators 1 supply oxygen to ozone generators 2 as discussedabove. Ozone is delivered from the ozone generators 2 to Venturiinjectors 5 (see FIGS. 3-5) where it is dissolved in the water flowingin a recirculating loop as shown by the flow indicating arrows. As thewater is recirculating, controllers 4 monitor the water for ozoneconcentration and pH and may signal any necessary changes as discussedabove. One or more check valves 7 may assist in controlling the flow ofwater in the system, as will be appreciated from the Figures.

During recirculation, a substantial amount of ozonated water is storedin a storage tank 10. The storage tank 10 includes an air/ozone releasevalve 9 that allows any un-dissolved ozone or air to be released fromthe storage tank 10 through an ozone destruct module 11 as discussedabove (no negative pressure means is needed for functioning of the ozonedestruct module 11). Therefore, any un-dissolved ozone is removed fromthe ozonated water before the ozonated water is delivered to the variouszones of the tunnel washer 110, substantially eliminating off-gassingfrom within the tunnel washer 110. As may be appreciated from referenceto FIGS. 2-9, an ozone destruct module 11 may be provided for each ozoneinjection system, so if the tunnel washer 110 includes three ozoneinjection points 130, the tunnel washer may include three ozone destructmodules 11. Alternatively, the air/ozone release valves 9 of multipleozone injection systems may be routed to a single ozone destruct module11.

Pumps 3 keep the water circulating through the storage tank 10 to ensurethat ozone concentrations remain at desired levels until water isdemanded by the tunnel washer 110. When the tunnel washer 110 requestswater, valves 16 open and deliver ozonated water from the storage tank10 that is replaced by fresh water that is ozonated at the Venturiinjectors 5 while water is not being demanded by the tunnel washer 110.Other components are illustrated to show the full assembly andfunctionality of the system, and will be readily understood by one ofskill in the art.

Because the ozonated water supply equipment of FIG. 2 is designed todeliver a higher purity of water to the rinse zone than may be strictlynecessary at other zones of the tunnel washer 110, the only watersupplied to the system of FIG. 2 is fresh clean water from the local(e.g. city) water supply. Of course, in some embodiments, all ozoneinjection points 130 may be provided with ozonated water supplyequipment similar to FIG. 2, and no re-ozonating of water after theozonated water has been sent to the tunnel washer 110 occurs. Incontrast, the ozonated water supply equipment of FIGS. 3 and 4 providesfor recycling of water from the tunnel washer 110 through the equipmentfor re-ozonation and re-use in the tunnel washer 110.

The re-used water is first filtered to remove dirt and other particulatematter. The filtered re-use water still may have some ozone in it, andmay be mixed with additional fresh water. As the recycled water in thesystem of FIG. 3 may begin with more ozone dissolved in it, it may bepossible to reduce the number or capacity of the oxygen concentrator(s)1 and ozone generator(s) 2, as less ozone may be required to fullyozonate the water. In addition, the number of Venturi injectors 5 maysimilarly be reduced. In other instances (i.e. as illustrated in FIG.4), the full ozone generation and injection capacity may be retained.

As may be appreciated, the re-used water may have appreciable quantitiesof detergents, sour, etc. in it. Therefore, as the water is circulatedthrough the tank(s) 10 and the Venturi injector(s) 5, the injection ofozone may cause non-dissolving bubbles and foam in the water, which willnaturally connect at or near the top of the tank 10. As the foam, insome instances, may cause difficulty for the ozone destruct module 11,an inline filter 14 may be provided to prevent the foam from passing tothe ozone destruct module 11, and a tank top drain line may be providedthat returns the foam to the tunnel washer 110, where it is notproblematic. The inline filter 14 and tank top drain line may beprovided in any instances where recycled water is beingozonated/re-ozonated. In other instances, the inline filter 14 and tanktop drain line may be omitted when foaming does not occur. (See FIGS. 5and 6.)

FIGS. 7-9 show additional ozonated water supply equipment embodiments ofvarious sizes that may be used for wet ozone laundry applicationsincluding tunnel washers and other washers. The embodiments of FIGS. 7-9do not depict utilizing recycled water, although it is anticipated thatone of skill in the art will readily understand modifications that couldbe made to the illustrated embodiments as discussed above andillustrated at least in FIGS. 3 and 4 to utilize recycled wash water.The ozone laundry systems discussed above rely primarily on applicationof ozone to laundry while dissolved in water. Further embodiments of theinvention include applications where ozone is applied to laundry asgaseous ozone, either in conjunction with ozone dissolved in water, orindependently of any water washing. In instance where gaseous ozoneapplication occurs in conjunction with water-dissolved ozone, theapplication of gaseous ozone may occur serially either before or afterthe application of water-dissolved ozone, or it may occursimultaneously.

Therefore, embodiments of ozone washing systems are disclosed below thatprovide for the controlled safe application of ozone, including gaseousozone to laundry in a washer. A negative air pressure or vacuum isapplied to the washer through an ozone destruct unit to draw ozonethrough the washer from an ozone generator and to reduce inadvertentozone leaks from the system. The ozone levels at various locations maybe monitored and ozone generation and application may be controlled inresponse to the detected ozone concentrations, levels, and flow rates.The application of gaseous ozone using the inventive systems allow theozone to treat materials and articles of clothing such as jeans toachieve a desired look and feel, such as an appearance of having beenworn by interacting with the fibers of the materials and articles ofclothing. Such gaseous ozone application systems are discussed withparticular reference to FIG. 10. The system of FIG. 10 may be combinedwith wet ozone (i.e. dissolved in water) systems, such as those shown inFIGS. 2-9, as will also be discussed.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a washer systemaccording to the present invention. The system includes a washer 24connected to an ozone generation and delivery system and furtherconnected to an exhaust and vacuum system. The washer 24 may be a largecommercial-type washer, and may be capable of typical washer functionsand cycles. The washer 24 may be a custom-built unit, or it may be astandard washer modified for use in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention. The washer 24 permits the application of gaseousozone in precisely-controlled concentrations up to between 10,000 partsper million (ppm) to 20,000 ppm or more.

The controlled application of gaseous ozone is facilitated by the ozonegeneration and delivery system. The system includes an ozone generator26 that takes a source of oxygen and converts the oxygen to ozone byknown processes, as described above. Ozone may be produced by firstconcentrating and storing dry oxygen with an oxygen concentrator 28. Theoxygen concentrator 28 provides high-quality oxygen to the associatedozone generator 26. The oxygen concentrator 28 may include a compressorand a filter/dryer that take in ambient air and remove moisture andnitrogen components from the ambient air to leave mostly oxygen. Oncethe oxygen has been separated from the ambient air, it is then availablefor conversion to ozone. Alternatively, oxygen may be provided by anyother means, such as by oxygen supplied in a removable oxygen tank.Thus, any means of supplying oxygen to the ozone generator 26 isembraced by the embodiments of the invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ozone generator 26 receives oxygenfrom the oxygen concentrator 26 and uses the oxygen to create ozone by aprocess commonly known as corona discharge. The oxygen may be receivedinto a corona discharge cell that has an electrified quartz tube. Theelectricity passing through the quartz tube in a corona converts theoxygen gas into ozone by splitting oxygen molecules into oxygen atomsthat re-combine with other oxygen molecules to form unstable ozonemolecules having three atoms of oxygen. Any other method of ozonegeneration may also be used, including a ceramic tube dielectric ozonegenerator as described above. The ozone so created may be stored as agas for a period of time until needed, or it may be deliveredimmediately upon generation to be used in the washer 24. The ozonegenerator 26 may therefore be capable of producing sufficient ozone forall on-demand needs of the washer 24 (or washers 24 if plural washers 24are provided), or multiple ozone generators 26 may be used as necessaryto increase ozone production. Varying concentrations of ozone may bedelivered to the washer 24 by controlling the amount of ozone generatedby the ozone generator(s).

As ozone is a highly reactive gas, its environmental concentrationshould be minimized. Although this could be accomplished by making acompletely sealed and leak-proof washer 24 and supply system, the costof making a leak-proof washer system is high and is further complicatedby any corrosion occurring from the ozone use. Instead, embodiments ofthe invention such as illustrated in FIG. 10 utilizes a vacuum ornegative air pressure provided to the washer 24 through an exhaustsystem to pull air and ozone from the washer 24 to an ozone destructunit 30. Any excess ozone gas, as well as any ozone gas that may leakfrom the system, may be also routed to an ozone destruct unit such asozone destruct unit 30. The ozone destruct unit(s) 30 may catalyticallyconvert the excess ozone back to oxygen gas as previously described. Toensure that no ozone leaks from the washer 24, a negative pressure meanssuch as a blower, ventilation fan, vacuum pump etc. (referred to as“blower 32”) may be provided on the exhaust system to ensure thatambient ozone levels remain below acceptable levels. In some embodimentsof the invention, one or more ambient monitors 34 may be provided tomonitor ambient concentrations of ozone and/or oxygen and may provide awarning of unsafe conditions and/or may automatically discontinue ozonegeneration by the ozone generator 26.

In the system illustrated in FIG. 10, no ozone is recycled for re-use.It is relatively easy and economical to generate new ozone, and it issomewhat easier to control ozone concentration by generating new ozoneas needed than it is to recycle ozonated air that may be contaminatedwith air entering the washer 24 due to the negative air pressureprovided by the blower 32. Therefore, it is often easier not to recycleozonated air but to simply destroy any excess ozone and generate newozone as needed.

To minimize ambient ozone exposure and to maximally control the ozoneapplied to the washer 24, the washer system is provided with a negativeair pressure means as described above. Additionally, the ozone isdelivered to the washer 24 from the ozone generator(s) 26 and drawn fromthe washer 24 to the ozone destruct unit 30 through a piping system. Thepiping system includes one or more ozone feed line(s) 36, one or moreozone exhaust line(s) 38, and one or more ozone monitoring line(s) 40.The ozone feed line 36 connects the ozone generator 26 to the washer 24,and may be of a material resistant to degradation from contact with theozone. The ozone exhaust line 38 connects the washer 24 to the ozonedestruct unit 30 and the blower 32 and may also be resistant to damagefrom ozone. In some embodiments, the ozone feed line 36 and the ozoneexhaust line 38 may be connected to the washer 24 in such a way thatsupplied ozone gas feeds into one part of the washer (such as a side orthe bottom) and is extracted from an opposite part of the washer 24(such as an opposite side or the top). In this way, ozone distributionthroughout the washer 24 may be maximized. In other embodiments, ozonemay be supplied to multiple locations in the washer 24 to achieve thesame effect.

The ozone monitoring line 40 may be connected to various differentlocations on the ozone feed line 36, the ozone exhaust line 38, or thewasher 24, and is connected to an ozone meter 42. This allows the ozonemeter 42 to monitor the ozone concentration at any of the connectedlocations to ensure that the desired amount of ozone is being suppliedto the washer 24 and to the clothing or other materials inside thewasher 24. Of course, where multiple monitoring lines 40 are used,multiple ozone meters 42 may also be used. To control the monitoring, aswell as to control the supply of ozonated air and/or fresh air to thevarious systems discussed herein, the ozone feed line 36, the ozoneexhaust line 38, and the ozone monitoring line 40 may be provided withvarious valves 44 and air inlets 46. By controlling the various valves,the ozone meter 42 may be selected to monitor ozone concentrations fromjust after the ozone generator 26, from just before the washer 24, orfrom just after the washer 24. Additionally, by controlling the valvesand shutting off the ozone generator 26, fresh air may be taken in tothe air inlets 46 to purge the ozone feed line 36, the ozone exhaustline 38, and the ozone monitoring line 40 of ozonated air. For theconvenience of the reader, arrows have been added to FIG. 10illustrating the direction of flow of air, whether ozonated or not,through the washer system.

A control unit (not shown) may also be connected to flow meters (notshown) on the ozone feed line 36, and/or the ozone exhaust line 38 foradditional information during control. Additionally, though notspecifically illustrated in FIG. 10, the ozone generation systems andexhaust systems described above may be connected to multiple washerssuch as washer 24. In such embodiments, the valves 44 and the controlunit provide additional control over the routing of ozone to the variouswashers so that ozone application may be occurring in one washer asanother washer is loaded and/or unloaded, and so that ozone application(concentration and airflow rates) may be varied from one washer to thenext.

Although not specifically illustrated in FIG. 10, an ozone washer systemin accordance with embodiments of the invention may therefore include acontrol unit that may further include a computer. The control unit maycontrol the washer 24, the ozone generator 26, the blower 32, and/or thevarious valves 44 in conjunction with the ambient monitor(s) 34 and theozone meter 42. In this way, the control unit may precisely control theapplication of ozone to the washer 24 to a desired effective amount foran effective duration. The control unit also allows for the use ofprecise formulations of ozone exposure for providing repeatable effectsto materials in the washer 24.

For example, the ozone washer system of FIG. 10 may be used to provide awearing effect on clothing such as jeans. To accomplish this, the washer24 may be loaded with the clothing such as jeans to a desired loading.It has been found that for best effectiveness the washer should beminimally loaded, such as to approximately ten percent of capacity ortwenty percent of capacity. The clothing such as jeans may be loadeddry, may be loaded in a wet or damp state, or may be loaded dry andwetted or dampened by the washer 24. Then, a desired ozone formulationmay be applied using the ozone washer system as controlled by thecontrol unit (and computer) while the washer runs at its normal speed(approximately 44-50 rotations per minute (rpm), for example). In someembodiments, the control unit may check and record data at multiplelocations to allow for experimentation of the effect of the ozone atdifferent concentrations and for different durations to determine a mostdesirable effect of the ozone. Additionally, programs may be designed toprovide changing ozone concentrations during treatment to achievedesired effects. Thus, the embodiments of the invention may provide forcustomizable, repeatable application of ozone to various materials inthe washer 24.

In some embodiments of the invention, the washer 24 may also be used asa conventional washer and/or the washer 24 may be used to wash clothingin ozonated water. In some embodiments, higher concentrations ofdissolved ozone, such as 7 ppm may be used to further achieve certaineffects, such as wear effects to the clothing. Such systems forproviding ozonated water to the washer are illustrated in FIGS. 2-9 anddescribed above. Using a system such as illustrated in FIGS. 2-9, thewasher 24 may be used as a wet ozone washer and/or a dry ozone washerwithout requiring any loading or unloading of the washer 24 betweenuses. Therefore, a load of material may be consecutively treated withgaseous ozone and then with ozonated water (and any desired chemicals),or vice-versa to achieve additional desired effects for the material.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A tunnel washer comprising: a plurality of zones for washing laundryin a continuous fashion; a first ozone injection point, a second ozoneinjection point, and a third ozone injection point, wherein each of theozone injection points is located at a different zone of the pluralityof zones and wherein each of the ozone injection points comprises: awater inlet; a water outlet to the zone of the tunnel washer; and acirculating water loop connecting the water inlet and the water outlet,wherein the circulating water loop comprises a water storage tank and aVenturi injector for dissolving ozone in the water; and an ozonegenerator receiving oxygen and delivering ozone to the Venturiinjectors.
 2. The tunnel washer of claim 1 wherein each ozone injectionpoint further comprises an ozone destruct unit that removes excessun-dissolved ozone and converts it to oxygen.
 3. The tunnel washer ofclaim 1 wherein the first ozone injection point is at a pre-wash zone,the second ozone injection point is at a wash zone, and the third ozoneinjection point is at a rinse zone.
 4. The tunnel washer of claim 3wherein the water inlet of the third ozone injection point receiveswater recycled from the end of the rinse zone.
 5. The tunnel washer ofclaim 4 wherein the third ozone injection point comprises a storage tankand a tank top drain line for returning any foam to the tunnel washer.6. The tunnel washer of claim 3 wherein the water inlet of the secondozone injection point receives water recycled from the beginning of therinse zone that has passed through the rinse zone.
 7. The tunnel washerof claim 1 further comprising monitors that monitor the pH and dissolvedozone concentration of the water in the circulating water loop.
 8. Thetunnel washer of claim 1 further comprising means for controlling theclimate and for cooling the tunnel washer so that ozone may be generatedand will dissolve and remain dissolved in the water.
 9. The tunnelwasher of claim 8 wherein the means for controlling the climate and forcooling the tunnel washer comprises a structure enclosing the tunnelwasher and an air cooling unit.
 10. The tunnel washer of claim 1 furthercomprising an oxygen concentrator.
 11. The tunnel washer of claim 1wherein the water delivered to the tunnel washer has ozoneconcentrations of between 0.50 parts per million (ppm) and 1.50 ppm. 12.A system for the application of gaseous ozone to fabric materialscomprising: a washer; an ozone generator connected to the washer by anozone feed line; an ozone destruct unit connected to the washer by anozone exhaust line; a means for generating a negative air pressureconnected to the ozone destruct unit so as to draw ozonated air from theozone generator through the ozone feed line to the washer, and throughthe washer and the ozone exhaust line to the ozone destruct unit; and anoxygen source feeding oxygen to the ozone generator.
 13. The system ofclaim 12 wherein the means for generating a negative air pressurecomprises a blower.
 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the means forgenerating a negative air pressure comprises a vacuum pump.
 15. Thesystem of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of washers connectedto the ozone feed line and the ozone exhaust line, wherein a pluralityof valves control the application of the negative air pressure and theozonated air to the plurality of washers.
 16. The system of claim 12wherein the ozonated air has an ozone concentration between 10,000 and20,000 parts per million.
 17. The system of claim 12 wherein the ozoneis applied to clothing in the washer to create a worn look for theclothing.
 18. The system of claim 12 wherein the oxygen source is anoxygen concentrator.
 19. The system of claim 12 further comprising asystem for providing ozonated water to the washer comprising: an ozonegenerator; a circulating path of water including a water storage tankconnected to the washer; and a Venturi injector on the circulating waterpath, wherein the Venturi injector is connected to the ozone generatorand receives ozone from the ozone generator and dissolves the ozone inthe circulating water.
 20. A method for the application of gaseous ozoneto fabric materials comprising: delivering ozonated air to a washersystem under negative air pressure wherein an air pressure inside thewasher system is maintained at a lower pressure than an air pressureoutside the washer system at all times that ozonated air is delivered tothe washer system, the washer system comprising: an ozone generatorconnected to a washer by an ozone feed line; an ozone destruct unitconnected to the washer by an ozone exhaust line; a means for generatinga negative air pressure connected to the ozone destruct unit so as todraw ozonated air from the ozone generator through the ozone feed lineto the washer, and through the washer and the ozone exhaust line to theozone destruct unit; and an oxygen source feeding oxygen to the ozonegenerator.